To Catch A Glimpse
by WarriorHale
Summary: A meddlesome witch gives Stiles and Derek a look at how things could be for them if they stopped antagonising each other. Eventual NC-17.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Teen Wolf or any of the characters._

**A/n: **_This fic is canon compliant up until 3A except Derek and Cora don't leave at the end of the season._ _Also, a massive thank you to my beta, Rachel for all her help!_

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><p>The pack looked on in a mix of frustration and boredom as yet another argument erupted between Derek and Stiles. It had been the fourth one in the past week.<p>

"Why is it you have to put a downer on absolutely _everything_ that we try to do?" Stiles shouted, and moved forward into Derek's space. "We're all trying our best to fix this situation and get rid of these creatures that are taking people's kids and all you're doing is whining about the fact that we've asked for help from a witch!"

Derek snarled and pushed Stiles out of his personal space before launching into a tirade of his own.

"We don't know that we can trust her. How do we know that she's even on our side? My family has dealt with witches before and they are _not_ known for their loyalty to werewolves!"

He moved closer to Stiles, his voice rising with his temper and continued. "I'm trying to make sure that things don't get any worse but every time I make a suggestion _you_ jump down my throat and try to start a-"

"Oh, shut _up_, Derek!" Stiles interrupted and jabbed his finger into Derek's chest. "I don't start fights with you; it's the other way around. Don't even try and blame this on-"

"QUIET!" The witch in question's voice rang out through the loft, loud and authoritative, causing everyone in the room to turn their attention to her immediately. "I have been here for less than a day and already I'm sick of listening to the pair of you bickering when it is clear to anyone with even half a brain that if you stopped being blind fools and worked together you would make a powerful team."

Both Stiles and Derek scoffed at the suggestion that they could work well together.

The witch raised her perfectly arched eyebrow at them.

"You don't believe what I'm saying? Well then, I guess I'll just have to _show_ you how things could be."

She closed her eyes in what appeared to be deep concentration and began muttering something in a language that no one could understand. Before anyone could stop her, the witch pushed her hands out forcefully in Derek and Stiles' direction and the energy that flowed through the room was almost tangible.

"What the hell?" Stiles questioned, his eyes wide and panicked.

"What did you just do?" Derek demanded, rage etched all over his face.

The witch simply smirked at the pair before turning to Scott.

"Contact me when these two get their act together, Alpha McCall. And not before." she told him before disappearing right before everyone's eyes.

"I did _not_ know witches could do that," said Isaac, his eyes fixed on the spot where the witch had stood just seconds before.

—/—/—/—

For almost two hours after the witch left, Scott, Stiles, Isaac, Allison, Lydia, and Cora stayed at Derek's to try and figure out exactly what she had done.

"So, both of you are one hundred percent sure that you don't feel any different?" Lydia asked.

Both Stiles and Derek shook their heads in reply.

"Then I don't think there's anything we can do right now. We can't figure out what she's done until one or both of you start showing symptoms of something."

"And if it was anything life threatening, I'm pretty sure this one here would be screeching right about now," Cora added, inclining her head towards Lydia.

After agreeing that there was nothing that could be done that evening, Derek ordered everyone except Cora, who was living with him, out of the loft so that he could get some peace and quiet.

—/—/—/—

The next morning, Derek woke slowly from the best sleep he'd had in years. It took him a few moments to register the warm weight draped over his waist and the feeling of something plastered up against his back. Another minute or so passed until his sleepy haze lifted enough to realise that what he was feeling was another person. He was being spooned. He was butt naked and was being some equally naked person's little spoon.

Derek jolted up and turned to find out who was in bed with him and was confused beyond all belief to find Stiles sprawled out next to him on the mattress. He watched as Stiles began to stir awake and racked his brain in attempt to figure out what the fuck was going on.

"Stiles," Derek placed a hand on Stiles' arm to shake him fully awake. "Wake up."

Stiles blinked open sleepy eyes to look at Derek.

"Dude, what are you doing in my bed? With no clothes on? I mean not that I'm complaining, we both know you're buff but- oh my GOD why have I got no clothes on?!" Stiles exclaimed when he had woken up fully. He scrambled up into a sitting position and pulled the duvet up to his neck. "This isn't even my room."

It hadn't even occurred to Derek that they were in an unfamiliar room because it didn't smell unfamiliar. It smelled like a mixture of Derek and Stiles. Even more bizarrely, it smelled like _home_.

Derek looked around the bedroom and took in the charcoal grey walls, white furniture and the flat screen television that was mounted on the wall facing the incredibly comfortable king size bed that he and Stiles were in. It was nice, he liked it; it was similar to how he had been planning to decorate his bedroom in the loft when he got the time.

"Where are we?" Stiles asked and although his voice sounded calm, Derek could hear the way his heart rate was picking up speed.

"I have no idea," Derek told him. When Stiles' heart reacted by beating even faster, Derek continued, "But I don't feel like we're in any danger."

"Okay, that's good. I can work with that," Stiles replied, taking a deep breath to calm himself down before turning to look at the bedside table. "What the fuck," he swore quietly as he lifted up a framed photo, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Derek took the photo when Stiles offered it to him and his stomach lurched when he found himself staring at a photo of Stiles and himself. They were posing in front of a barbecue, their arms wrapped around each other and the Stiles in the photo was grinning wide and happy, holding a spatula in his free hand and wearing an apron that had 'kiss the chef' emblazoned on the front of it while Derek in the photo kissed him on the cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Teen Wolf or any of the_ characters.  
><strong>Author's note: <strong>_I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

"Now, go ahead and correct me if I'm wrong," Stiles began. "But what's going on in that photo has never happened. _Right_?"

Derek could hear the fear and uncertainty in Stiles' voice and he could relate. He felt like he was going crazy; he had no idea where he was and no memory of how he had gotten there in the first place and now he was staring at a photo of himself and Stiles looking like the most loved up couple in the world, which made absolutely no sense to him either. Because _really? _Him and _Stiles? _The only thing preventing him from going absolutely wild with panic was the fact that Stiles was with him and he seemed to be as confused as Derek.

"I don't remember having the photo taken either," Derek confirmed. "I also don't remember ever being at a barbecue with you."

Stiles considered that for a moment and frowned. "Why have we never had a pack barbecue? That would be so great and maybe it would help us all bond so we could actually _be _a pack. A real one."

Things were sort of messed up on the whole pack front. There was a group of them and they all worked together for the most part and they all knew they could trust each other, but Scott was still learning the alpha ropes, and Derek was still coming to terms with not being an alpha any more. So, things were tricky.

A frustrated huff escaped Derek, "Oh yeah, because the big issue here isn't that we've woken up in an unfamiliar place with absolutely no recollection of getting here, it's that we haven't had a _pack barbecue_. Yeah, that really makes sense, Stiles."

"There you go again, being grumpy and jumping down my throat for nothing," Stiles accused. "This is why the witch got mad yesterday!"

Realisation struck them both at exactly the same moment and the argument that was about to unfold between them was instantly forgotten.

"Shit!" Stiles exclaimed. "The witch! Do you think this has something to do with her?"

Derek nodded. "It makes sense. And I can't think of any other explanation."

"Well at least we've got an idea of what's going on now," Stiles reasoned. "Hey, do you think there's clothes here that we could wear? 'Cause I'm not gonna lie I'm feeling a little self conscious being nude in front of all of _this_," he admitted, gesturing to Derek's bare torso.

Derek rolled his eyes at Stiles' comment before telling Stiles to close his eyes so he could get out of bed and find clothes for them both.

He went to the wardrobe and was surprised to find lots of clothes that both smelled like him and were in his size. Jeans, t-shirts, shirts, sweaters, jackets – everything. He pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a white henley and put them on before continuing to riffle through the rest of the clothes. There was a section at the end of the rail, consisting mainly of jeans and hoodies, that smelled strongly of Stiles. He pulled out jeans and a green t-shirt and threw them at Stiles.

"I think those are yours. Your scent is all over them."

— — — —

Once they were dressed Derek and Stiles decided that they should take a look around the house to try and find out more about what was going on. The minute he stepped out into the hallway, Derek froze. His heart hammered heavily in his chest as he took in his all too familiar surroundings.

Stiles, who was at the top of the huge mahogany staircase, turned to Derek when he noticed that he had stopped following him.

"Derek, you okay there?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Derek's eyes were wide with some emotion that Stiles couldn't quite comprehend and his broad chest was heaving as he attempted to drag air into his lungs. "What's going on?"

"This is my house," Derek replied, his voice strained with emotion. "My family's house."

Stiles' mouth dropped open in surprise as he took in the information. He found it difficult to believe that this beautiful home, that as far as Stiles could tell didn't bare a single scorch mark, could be the burnt out shell of a house that he'd seen so many times. It made no sense, how was it even possible?

He ran into one of the other bedrooms on the landing and looked out of the window and sure enough, Stiles was faced with the woods that he had come to know so well over the past years. He imagined how terrible Derek must have been feeling, considering how he had reacted in front of Stiles. Derek had shown vulnerability in front of him which was incredibly out of character for him. Sympathy gripped Stiles as he considered how rattled Derek must have felt at realising he was in his family home. He knew that if their positions had been swapped, Stiles would have been shaken to his core.

Derek followed Stiles into the bedroom, needing to see the proof before he could really believe that this was his family's house, even though he already knew in his gut that it was. He stood at Stiles' shoulder and looked out at the trees as he tried to compose himself and calm his jangling nerves.

"This used to be Cora's bedroom," Derek confided quietly.

"Yeah?" Stiles asked, twisting to look at Derek. "Do you think it's hers now?"

Derek took a deep breath and shook his head. "I can smell Isaac in here."

"Do you think _he_ lives here?"

"The smell is too faint for him to live here. At the most, I'm guessing he just sleeps over sometimes."

Derek was relieved that in whatever world he was in, he and Isaac had patched things up enough for Isaac to have a room in his house. It gave him hope that maybe he would be able to make things right between them when he got back to his real life.

— — — —

They went to check the other rooms on the landing to see if Derek would be able to smell anything that would give them any other information. When they entered one bedroom with pale blue walls, silver bedsheets and massive bay windows, Stiles noticed the way Derek's mouth tugged up at the corner in an almost-smile. He told Stiles that this was definitely Cora's room, that her scent was everywhere.

"This used to be Laura's room but Cora always wanted it. She liked those big windows. She used to sneak in here when Laura was out and she would just lie on the patch of floor that the sun hit and colour in her colouring books until it was dark."

Grinning at the image Derek's words conjured, Stiles admitted, "It's hard to believe that Cora hasn't always been a surly wolf with a penchant for throwing people into walls like her big brother."

Derek snapped his teeth at Stiles playfully, "Shut up and let's go downstairs."

The bottom half of the house was all open plan and inviting, with a massive kitchen with granite work tops that led through to a cosy living room with an authentic fireplace. It was completely different from how the house had been before the fire but Derek liked it. It looked like a home again and that made contentment settle heavy in his chest. He moved away from Stiles to inspect the photos that were placed on the walls and shelves around the room and was once again greeted by familiar faces.

"Stiles, come here and look at these," he called over to Stiles who was in the kitchen raiding through the fridge.

There were more photos of him and Stiles laughing together, kissing and holding hands. The images made both of their insides twist and turn into tight knots for reasons that they couldn't quite fathom yet.

"We look…" Stiles trailed off, not quite knowing what to say.

"Happy," Derek finished for him. "We look really happy."

"Yeah," Stiles agreed softly

Stiles stared transfixed at the Derek in the photos. Although it was definitely him, he looked completely different. In each photo, his posture was open and relaxed and his smiles were warm and genuine - nothing like the false grins he'd seen Derek flash a few times over the years. The Derek in the photo's looked like the kind of guy that Stiles would want to be around and he wondered if that Derek could be somewhere inside the one that was standing next to him. He wasn't sure that it was possible though because the two Derek's seemed so completely opposite. But still he couldn't get the witch's words out of his head: "I'll just have to show you how things_ could be._"

"Look at this," Derek said, lifting up a photo to show Stiles.

It was a huge group photo of Stiles, Derek, Scott, Isaac, Allison, Lydia, Cora, Danny, Stiles' father, Scott's mom and to both of their surprise, Jackson. Stiles was on Derek's back while Scott and Allison kissed next to them, Cora was holding up bunny ears behind Isaac who was grinning obliviously at the camera as Stiles' dad watched on laughing. Scott's mom was next to Stiles' dad and was smiling wide, showing off her white teeth and Lydia, Jackson and Danny were sitting in front of everyone on the grass, looking like a trio of models. They looked like an odd but cheerful family. They looked like a _pack_.

They were both interrupted from their thoughts by the sound of someone entering the house before Cora came into the living room in a tank top, yoga pants and running shoes. She looked pretty much the same as the last time they had both seen her except her hair was shorter and grazed her shoulders.

"Oh, so you both finally decided to wake up," she greeted them with a grin, seemingly unphased by finding Derek and Stiles in her family home that should have been a burnt out wreck. "You must have needed the extra sleep. I got you the paper while I was out for my run."

Derek, who had been caught off guard by her presence, only just managed to catch the paper that she tossed at him. He took a look at it and gaped at the date on the front. According to the newspaper it was the 24th June, 2018. Four years in the future. Silently, he showed it to Stiles, whose colour immediately drained, leaving him a sickly grey colour.

"Hey, Stiles. Are you alright? You've gone really pale," Cora asked, frowning at him. "Do you feel sick?"

"Uh, no," Stiles answered, stumbling over his words a little. "I'm just… hungry. I haven't eaten today and you know I need to be fed pretty much hourly or I stop functioning."

"You should go sit down," she told him before turning to Derek. "Go make your boyfriend some breakfast for God's sake, he looks like he's about to pass out. And you can make me something while you're at it!"

Boyfriend. It was one thing to see the photos that suggested it but to hear someone say it was a whole different ball game. In this world, or in the future or wherever the hell they were, they were a couple; it was a lot to take in. Neither of them could imagine any way that they could have bonded enough to become the couple in all of the photos.

Once Cora had gone upstairs to shower, Stiles turned to Derek, his expression serious.

"I think we need to go and find Scott, wherever he is in this place. We need to get some real answers."

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><p><strong>An: **_Thanks for reading! If anyone has tumblr my url is warriorhale! I take fic prompts and I'm always looking for new blogs to follow._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Teen Wolf or any of the characters._

**Author's note: **_Sorry it too me so long to post this chapter, uni has been crazy! But I've handed in all my coursework now so I should be able to post more regularly now._

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><p>Stiles helped Derek cook bacon and eggs for themselves and Cora, all the while bickering quietly about what their next move should be, being careful not to let Cora overhear. They both thought it would be best to tell as few people as possible about their situation until they knew the full story.<p>

"In what world would Scott be able to give us any "real answers"?" Derek mocked, as he pulled the grill tray out to check on the bacon. "We need to find Deaton."

"Hey, give Scott some credit! He's a _true alpha_ now," Stiles defended. "And besides, we're apparently four years in the future – which terrifies the shit out of me, by the way – so maybe he's gained some wisdom."

"Doubtful," was Derek's dry response. "Look, we'll go to Deaton first and then if it makes you feel better we'll find Scott after that, okay?"

"Fine," Stiles agreed reluctantly. Then he smirked and elbowed Derek playfully in the ribs, ignoring the scowl he received in return, "Look at us compromising, who'd have thought it, huh?"

"Shut up, Stiles."

They changed the topic of conversation when they heard Cora coming back downstairs after her shower.

"That smells so _good_," she groaned in ecstasy as she sat down at the big, mahogany dining table. "There's nothing better than bacon after a run in the morning."

After grilling them both about what moisturiser they had been using "because _seriously_, both of you are looking weirdly youthful", Cora began chattering about what was going on in her life while she ate her breakfast. Stiles and Derek paid careful attention to everything she was saying, hoping to collect any useful tidbits of information about the life they were in currently.

"Oh, Derek, I forgot to say," Cora said, swallowing down some food. "Isaac called this morning and asked if you need him to get anything for the barbecue on Saturday?"

Derek looked up at Cora, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "What barbecue?"

Cora fixed her brother with an exasperated look, "The pack barbecue that you've hosted every year since we all renovated the house, Derek."

At Derek's blank expression she set down her knife and fork in favour of leaning over the table and pointing her finger at her brother, "Don't tell me you've forgotten! You told everyone a few weeks ago that you were planning it for this Saturday. You know, _two days_ from now."

Derek turned to Stiles and it took all of Stiles' strength not to cackle at the sheer horror in Derek's eyes.

"I think someone's still asleep," Stiles joked, pointing his thumb in Derek's direction. "He hasn't forgotten, we've got this covered. Just tell Isaac all he has to bring is his sweet self."

Standing to take their plates through to the sink, Cora shot them both a suspicious glance. It was clear that she was completely unconvinced by Stiles' reassurance.

"That better be the truth," she warned. "Because everyone, including me, is really excited for this barbecue."

~/~/~/~

"I would never agree to host a barbecue," Derek grumbled as they made their way into town to go to Deaton's clinic.

"Well, the Derek from this world did, so you'll just have to go with it," Stiles told him, enjoying Derek's obvious irritation. "Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. From what Cora said, it sounded like the entire pack will be coming, so it'll be awesome to get everyone together. Plus, if we're four years in the future that would make me twenty one which means I can drink beer and my dad can't confiscate it!"

"Oh my God," Derek groaned. "If this is your personality when you're sober I don't even want to imagine how annoying you'll be with a drink in you."

The witty retort Stiles had lined up died in his throat as the smell of freshly ground coffee wafted from the little coffee shop at the corner of the street that they were on.

"Oh man," Stiles said, breathing the scent deep into his lungs. "Just let me go in here and grab a coffee real quick."

"Stiles, in case you haven't noticed, we're stuck in a world that isn't our own," Derek hissed, looking around shiftily to make sure that no passersby could hear him. "We don't have time '_to grab coffee_,'" he mimicked.

"Oh come on," Stiles scoffed and tugged Derek into the shop by his sleeve. "I'll only be five minutes and I'll even buy you something."

Stiles ignored Derek's grumbling as they stood in line in favour of letting his eyes roam around the quaint little coffee shop. There were big, overstuffed armchairs and little ebony coffee tables and the hand written menu boards behind the counter were hung up on a brick wall. Stiles liked it a lot; he could picture himself here, maybe sitting at the table in the corner next to the floor to ceiling window, typing on his laptop or just watching the people outside go by. _Yeah_, he thought, nodding his head slightly, _I could spend time here_.

Stiles was shaken out of his thoughts by Derek's voice deep and close to his ear asking, "Is this place here... at home?"

"No," Stiles answered. "Right now it's that new guy that's just moved into town and has turned the place into some slick, unisex hair salon. I heard ladies in the grocery stop bitching about how they would _never_ stop having Wanda on Dumbarton Street do their hair. So I guess that guy's salon didn't take off."

Derek snorted, "A unisex hair salon must have been too city for the good folks of Beacon Hills."

Genuine laughter bubbled up out of Stiles as he nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's crazy how opposed everyone in this town is to most of the modern world."

"Stiles!" The woman behind the counter smiled brightly at him as she tucked a gold curl behind her ear. "Oh, and Derek," she continued, locking eyes with Derek who was standing slightly behind Stiles. "How are you, sweetie? It's been too long since the last time you came in with Stiles."

Derek felt taken aback at the familiarity in the woman's voice and for one terrifying moment he felt totally unequipped to deal with the situation. He didn't _know_ this woman. But she was calling him 'sweetie' and not in the way that annoying people who call everyone by pet names do, he could tell she really knew him. It was in the warmth of her hazel gaze and the deliberate way she gifted the endearment to him. They were friends, he realised. In this world this woman was his friend. He glanced quickly at her name badge and moved forward.

"I'm good, Clare," he answered with a small smile, trying to sound as natural as he possibly could. "I've been trying to cut back on my caffeine intake."

Clare nodded, grinning. "I often think this one should do the same," she joked, turning her focus to Stiles. "You're in here so much I honestly wonder how you get any sleep."

"Giving up sleep is worth it for really great coffee," Stiles told her, and he meant it; there wasn't much that Stiles enjoyed more than a good cup of coffee.

"Well I'm glad you think so," Clare said. "Because it would be _really_ terrible if my favourite customer stopped coming in."

It didn't take Stiles long to decide that he liked Clare, and not just because his future self already liked her enough to frequent her coffee shop all the time. She was one of those people who just made you feel welcome and at ease, hell; she even had Derek smiling a bit. Stiles pondered over what age she was. She looked older than him and maybe even a little bit older than Derek. He guessed she was in her mid 30s at the oldest.

A slim, dark haired man in jeans and a white t-shirt came out of the back room of the shop and waved at Derek and Stiles. A gold wedding band matching the one on Clare's hand glinted from his ring finger.

"Hey, guys. You having the usual today?"

Stiles glanced at Derek who nodded at the man, "That would be great, thanks."

They chatted about their plans for the day as Clare's husband, who they now knew from his name tag was called Kevin, poured their coffees and packed up two pastries for them.

After paying and tipping their new/old friends generously they turned to leave, pausing in the middle of the shop to taste their coffees.

"So what's your usual then?" Stiles asked, enjoying the look of surprised appreciation on Derek's face.

"I don't actually know. I don't drink coffee," he answered before taking another sip. "It's something with caramel, anyway."

"How did I not know that you have a sweet tooth?" Stiles wondered aloud, trying and failing to picture Derek digging into candy bars and caramel sundaes.

Derek shrugged and began to walk towards the shop exit, "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

Stiles' first instinct was to disagree but he realised it was probably true; it wasn't like he'd spent much time with Derek when they weren't in life threatening danger. He didn't know anything about Derek's personal life or his likes and dislikes and it surprised Stiles just how bothered he was by that. The desire to know more about Derek was overwhelming and a thousand different questions began to race through Stiles' mind, but he didn't get a chance to ask any of them. He was stunned into silence by the sight of the witch sitting at the table nearest the door, sipping on a latte and watching them intently.

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><p><strong>An: **_I hope you all enjoyed that! If you have tumblr my url is warriorhale so you should come talk to me!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Discalimer: **_I don't own Teen Wolf or any of the characters._

**Author's note:** _I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

><p>"Hello, boys," the witch said as she set her coffee cup down on the table, her crimson-painted lips curling up into a smirk.<p>

She really didn't look like how Stiles had always imagined witches to look. There were no warts on her perfectly made up face and her chestnut hair was styled so that not a single hair was out of place; it was nothing like the scraggly black locks that the witches in his books had when he was a kid. If Stiles had to compare the way she looked to something, he would say she resembled those rich women who wandered around expensive department stores clutching designer handbags like a lifeline.

Derek was furious at the sight of her, and apparently the witch sensed the tirade that he was about to go on because she held up one manicured hand and said, "Now, now. We don't want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves, do we? Not in front of your lovely friends at the counter."

Stiles placed a hand on Derek's forearm; he could feel the tension running through the older man like high voltage electricity. He knew how Derek felt because he felt it all too, but he also knew that causing a scene wouldn't make anything better. Stiles had a feeling that if they wanted to get things sorted out they would have to play by the witch's rules.

"She's right," Stiles said quietly.

He half expected Derek to turn on him and start some huge argument but to his surprise and relief Derek just took a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose in a self-soothing gesture before nodding.

The seemingly perpetual smirk on the witches lip intensified as she took in the scene before her.

"Take a seat, boys," she commanded.

As soon as they were sitting in the two seats opposite the witch Derek leaned forward with his elbows on the table and spoke through gritted teeth, "What the _hell_ have you done to us?"

"Oh, calm down, darling," the witch patronised. "And stop growling at me, would it kill you to at least _pretend_ not to be a wild animal?"

Instead of finding the way Derek's nostrils flared in outrage hilarious like he usually would, Stiles felt offended on his behalf. When it came to facing down the witch he and Derek were on the same team and he wouldn't let her get away with insulting his teammate.

"Hey!" Stiles interjected. "He's not a wild animal, he's pissed that you've dropped us in some _alternate reality,_ or whatever this is, and so am I. You can't just play with people's lives like this."

Stiles was so intent on staring down the witch that he missed the way Derek's brows furrowed in confusion at Stiles' defence of him.

The witch snorted. "Yes I can. And the more I watch you two interact, the more I realise just how right I really was about you two."

Both Stiles and Derek demanded to know what she was talking about.

"If you would both be silent for just a few moments, I will explain this entire situation to you," the witch informed them.

"This better be good," Stiles warned, hoping he sounded at least a little bit menacing. He doubted it though.

"This _world_," the witch began with a wave of her hand. "As you both keep referring to it, is merely the result of the spell I cast on you yesterday. The spell allows the caster to give those on the receiving end a _glimpse_, if you will, of how the future could be if they altered something in their life."

Derek huffed in frustration and was about to interrupt with questions, but the witch continued to speak.

"Now, in this case, the variable I chose to alter is the way that you treat each other. You are rude to each other, you go out of your way to start fights with each other, you behave as though you _loathe _one another, and yet you can't leave each other alone."

Stiles and Derek both bristled at that. So what if they got a mutual enjoyment out of pissing each other off? It was none of her business.

"The energy between you both was so palpable that it had the hairs on my arms standing up and I thought to myself 'what is these two idiots took their heads out of their backsides long enough to realise how well they could work together if they just treated each other with a little bit of respect. And then there was a moment when _you_," she said, pointing at Derek. "Had this one pinned up against a wall and I really wasn't sure if you were about to head butt him or kiss him passionately and thoroughly-"

"WHAT?" was the stunned response that came from Stiles and Derek.

The witch grinned wickedly at them, "You heard me. So after that delightful display of homoeroticism, I just couldn't help myself. I had to cast the spell."

"I don't get why you would even waste your time though," Stiles spoke, his brows knitted together in bewilderment. "Like, let's just say you're right for a second and me and Derek have the potential to be the happiest couple in the world – which we don't, just FYI – why do you care if we realise that or not."

The witch made a quiet humming noise as she considered Stiles' question before lifting her green eyes to meet his.

"I don't know really," she began. She leaned forward a little as if she was about to tell them a huge secret, "I've always been a bit of a hopeless romantic. My sisters have always made fun of me for it."

For the first time since they had met her, she seemed sincere; her gaze was honest and the small smile on her lips was far from the sly smirk she had been wearing almost constantly.

"So, you're using us as your own personal rom-com, is that it?" Derek asked, his face screwed up in a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"Basically," the witch confirmed, completely back to her original persona. "Don't look so outraged, I am certain that by the end of this whole experience you both will be thanking me."

"I doubt that," Stiles told her, his voice flat.

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" She replied. "Now there's only one rule: no one can know that you are not from this world; it would damage the dynamics of the spell. The only person who can know is Alpha McCall. He is your alpha so he would know straight away that you weren't the versions of you both that he knows, and he will also be able to inform you of the details of your life here so that you will be able to act convincingly."

Derek folded his arms purposefully and narrowed his eyes, "What makes you think that we're going to abide by any of your rules?"

"Because if you don't I will continue to recast the spell until you eventually behave correctly. So, I think you'll agree that it would make things easier if you both do as I ask."

Stiles huffed in defeat, and a glance over at Derek showed the older man doing the same.

"How long are we going to be here for?" Stiles asked, knowing there was no use in fighting the witch.

"Ah," she sighed. "You're not going to like the answer to that question."

"_How long_?" Derek demanded. The menace in his voice sent a shiver down Stiles' spine; Derek could be a scary guy when he really tried.

"There's no way of knowing for certain. In some cases the spell has lasted a few days, in others it has been years. It just depends on how long the spell takes to run its course."

Stiles' pulse began to rocket at the prospect of being stuck in a world that wasn't his own. He tried to quell the panic that was expanding in his chest at an alarming rate by taking deep breaths, but it didn't help. He braced his hands on his thighs as a thick cloud of terror settled over him and shut him off from the rest of the world. Frightening thoughts ran through his mind on a sickening loop; _my dad is going to worry himself into an early grave when he realises I'm gone, Scott's going to be left without a best friend, who's going to do the research for the pack when the next evil creatures turns up in Beacon Hills?_

Strong, warm hands reached through the fog and gripped Stiles' forearms and he tried his best to focus on the feeling of the fingers curled around his arms and trust that those hands would bring him back.

"It's okay, Stiles. You're fine, just breathe."

The voice in his ear was soothing and steady; there wasn't even a hint of fear in it which made Stiles feel safer. It sounded like the voice of someone trustworthy to Stiles' ears, so he did as the person asked and forced himself to drag big gulps of air into his lungs.

"You're doing great. You're safe," Derek promised. _Derek_. The person speaking was Derek, Stiles realised.

He kept breathing as deep and as evenly as he could manage until the wild panic had receded. When he was able to open his eyes again he was faced with Derek crouching down in front of him, a small frown on his face.

"You alright?" Derek asked.

Stiles nodded and pulled himself back into an upright position, "Yeah I'm good, just kinda freaked out there for a minute."

Derek listened intently for an uptick in Stiles' heartbeat that would tell him that he really wasn't okay but there was none. When he was satisfied he stood back up and took his place in his chair again.

"Stiles' kicked gently at Derek's leg to get his attention. "Thanks," he said quietly when Derek was looking at him again.

Derek merely nodded in reply.

The witch cleared her throat exaggeratedly to get their focus back on her.

"If you're both quite finished with that sweet little display, I'll continue explaining things, shall I?"

Both Stiles and Derek just glared at her in response.

"I think you may have misunderstood me when I said the spell can last for years, Stiles. It will feel like years to you but when the spell is over you will wake up in your own bed and no time at all will have passed. None of your friends or family will know anything has happened to you unless you tell them when you wake up, and before you ask – _yes, _you will wake up. Do you have any other questions?"

When neither Stiles nor Derek bothered to answer her, the witch stood and picked up her expensive-looking, red leather hand bag.

"Well, I think that's everything you need to know from me. All I have to say now, is try and make the most of this experience; from what I've seen so far, the pair of you seem to have quite a nice life here."

Stiles snorted in derision at that, "Whatever you say."

The witch began to walk away but stopped just at the exit of the coffee shop. "Oh, I forgot to mention one last thing: the caster does not decide on the outcome of the spell, only the variable that will be changed. So, the fact that, in this world, you two are in a long term, loving relationship has nothing to do with me. I mean, I had a hunch, of course, but I couldn't be one hundred percent sure; for all I knew the result of the spell could have been that you two really are just incompatible and no amount of respectful treatment could change that, but that hasn't been the case. I'll let you two mull that over."

And then she was gone and Stiles and Derek were left staring at the door trying to fight off the awkwardness that had settled around them in her wake.

Derek cleared his throat in an attempt to break the heavy silence between them. When he spoke his voice sounded strained and Stiles was sure that if he tried to speak up he would sound exactly the same. The witch's parting words were kind of a big bombshell to have dropped on them; things had been much easier when they thought that the witch had created every aspect of this foreign world.

"I think we should try and get in touch with Scott now," was all Derek could manage to say before lapsing into another silence fraught with all of their unsaid thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>An:** _I'm looking for a beta reader for this fic so if you're interested let me know in the comments or message me on tumblr (my url is warriorhale). Previous experience with beta reading or editing would be great but as long as you're good with grammar and punctuation it's not necessary!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Teen Wolf._

**Author's note: **_Thank you so much to my beta, Rachel! _

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><p>After finding Scott's number in his cell phone and calling to find out where he was, Stiles and Derek made their way to the animal clinic where their alpha was working. Stiles talked non-stop about nothing important as they walked, in an attempt to prevent them from falling into any more awkward silences. Derek knew exactly what Stiles was doing, but couldn't bring himself to make the younger boy shut up; in truth, he was grateful for the distraction from what the witch had told them.<p>

They both knew that they couldn't avoid having a conversation about everything that the witch had spoken about, but the entire situation felt too raw and uncomfortable. Pushing it all to the back of their minds in favour of finding out more about this new life seemed like an easier option, so they were going with that.

"Do you think Scott's gonna notice we're different straight away?" Stiles asked as they approached the clinic.

"Yeah, I think so," Derek said nodding. "Even if he hadn't been our alpha for years in this world, you two have been inseparable since you were kids so he'll pick up on the fact that you're not the same right away."

They'd told Scott on the phone that they had something serious to speak to him about, and Stiles had made his best friend promise not to freak out, but Stiles was still nervous about how Scott was going to react.

Stiles hesitated at the door of the clinic, his hand hovering over the door. He considered telling Derek that he was tired and that they should just come back later, but then Derek's hand was pressing gently between his shoulder blades.

"It's fine, Stiles. Even in this world, he's still Scott."

Derek was right, Stiles knew. It wasn't something he thought often but in this case he knew that Derek was correct. In any world, at any time, Scott would always be Scott. It was the comfort provided by that thought that had Stiles pushing open the door of the clinic and calling out.

"Scotty boy, are you in the back?"

Scott popped his head out from the back room to greet them.

"I'll just be a second I'm just finish-"

The words died in Scott's throat and the smile on his face faltered and turned to a look of deep confusion as he sniffed the air in front of him.

"What's going on?" Scott asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped fully into the front area of the animal clinic. "You don't smell right. I mean, you still smell like yourselves but yourselves from before. Your scents aren't mixed. You haven't smelled like this since before..."

Scott's voice trailed off as he waved a hand between Derek and Stiles. Derek looked to Stiles, thinking that Scott would take the information they were about to give him better if it came from Stiles. Sure, he and Scott were getting closer, and in this world it seemed like they had a good relationship, but Derek understood that Stiles and Scott gained a great amount of comfort from each other because their lives had been so deeply entwined for so many years.

"Well, that's what we're here to talk to you about. We kinda need your help, buddy."

"Is everything okay?" Scott asked, his voice and expression now laced with concern. "Are you in danger?"

"No," Derek answered. "We're not in any sort of danger, we're both fine."

"We've just found ourselves in a bit of a shitty situation," Stiles clarified. "Is there anywhere we can sit down and talk?"

Scott led them through to the room that he took his breaks in, and the three of them sat around the small rectangular table in the middle room.

"So, what's going on?" Scott asked, settling his arms down on the table in from of him.

Stiles went over everything that had happened to them since the witch had cast her spell upon them and answered all of Scott's questions (_yes, we will be going back to our own world; I don't know where your Stiles and Derek are – I'm sure they're okay; no, Scott, me and sourwolf here are definitely _not _in love; yeah, you and I are best friends in my world – duh)._

"So, basically what we need from you is to keep all of this a secret and for you to fill us in on what our lives are like here."

Scott looked completely overwhelmed by everything that Stiles had told him, but he nodded and promised to help out as best as he could.

"Where do you guys want me to start? There's kind of a lot to tell you about," Scott said.

Derek spoke up first, "Start with how me and Stiles ended up dating."

"Oooh, yeah," Stiles agreed. "I _need_ to know how on earth that could have happened."

Scott grinned and nodded his head vigorously, "It's actually a really great story. I mean, it wasn't funny for either of you two at the time, but you ended up being able to laugh about it and it was pretty hilarious to the whole pack right off the bat."

"Get on it with it, Scotty!" Stiles urged.

"Okay, well it all started because you two had been fighting. Like, a lot more than usual, you know?"

Stiles and Derek both frowned and looked anywhere but at each other as they both realised that the beginning of Scott's story sounded exactly like the beginning of their own story but without the witch.

"You guys were driving us all crazy; it was making it really difficult to get anything done. So, the rest of the pack all met up in secret and came up with a plan to force you two to have to work together. We didn't expect you would end up a couple, at the most we thought you might become friends, but really we were just hoping that you would learn to tolerate each other a little. So anyway, every time we had to get something done, I would insist that we all split up into pairs and we all kept pairing up really quickly and leaving just the two of you."

"You are all terrible people," Derek deadpanned while Stiles nodded vigorously in agreement.

"I can't believe you would do that to me, Scott!"

Scott laughed, his eyes crinkling happily as he took in Stiles' outrage.

"I'm sorry, but it had to be done. And it all worked out well in the end, in fact, you or I guess the other you actually thanked me when you were wasted one night."

Derek watched as Stiles flushed red at what Scott had said. He couldn't help but imagine a happy, drunk Stiles slinging an arm around Scott's shoulders and thanking him for being a terrible friend because it had brought him and Derek together. An emotion that he couldn't quite identify twisted and tied his insides up in knots at the thought.

"A few weeks later," Scott continued. "Stiles turned up on my door absolutely reeking of you, Derek. And I knew what it meant before he even told me but I just couldn't make myself believe it until the words were out of his mouth, you know? He just blurted it out right there on my front step, 'I just lost my virginity to Derek,' he told me." Scott looked at Stiles, "You looked terrible, man."

Both Stiles and Derek were staring wide eyed at Scott.

"How the hell did it even come about?" Stiles questioned.

"Hey, I'm the story teller," Scott admonished. "Let me tell it how I want, don't make me bring out my alpha eyes."

Stiles snorted at Scott, who was now grinning crookedly to show he was joking about the alpha eyes. He was pleased and not at all surprised that his best friend hadn't become some power hungry alpha.

Derek rolled his eyes, "Hurry up and get on with the story."

"I sat Stiles down on my living room couch and he cried so much and told me that the two of you had been bickering and that he didn't know how it happened but you ended up kissing. I asked if he was crying because it was bad or if he regretted it and it was really hard to understand over all the tears and snot but he kind of wailed, 'No, it was so hot,' at me. That made me feel kinda sick, I'm not gonna lie," Scott admitted with a laugh. "I was really confused at that point so I asked why he was crying if he had enjoyed it so much and he said you thought he might like you and that he didn't want to like you."

"Are you serious?" Stiles demanded. "I was crying?"

"Yeah, dude. You were really upset. After you told me why you were crying I got why you were so upset, it must have been super confusing for you."

Scott turned to Derek, who was leaning back in his chair and smirking at the story and Stiles' embarrassment.

"I don't know why you're looking so smug, Derek; you sulked in your loft for a full week after it happened because Stiles didn't get in touch with you and you thought he hated you."

Derek swore under his breath as his cheeks began to burn and Stiles turned to cackle in his face, glad that he hadn't been the only one to behave embarrassingly.

"Anyway," Scott began. "You both kind of hibernated in your houses and moped over the situation. The rest of the pack and I visited you both at different times over that week and we put all the information we'd gotten from you both together and realised that you both liked each other and thought that the other didn't feel the same because neither of you had bothered to speak to each other. Then, basically, we told you both you were being really dumb and I convinced Stiles to go to the loft and you sorted things out and that's pretty much it."

"Huh," Stiles answered, not really sure what to say. Although he knew the things in the story hadn't really happened to him, it was still strange to hear all of that about him and Derek. He looked at Derek out of the corner of his eye and tried to imagine it all happening – the kissing, the crying, and the making up. The images made Stiles' stomach flip in a way that made him feel uncomfortable.

"So what?" Derek asked, finding it difficult to believe that he and Stiles could have adapted so easily to being in a relationship. "We just lived happily ever after?"

Scott smiled, "I wouldn't say that, exactly. It took a while for you both to get used to the whole dating and falling in love with each other thing, so you argued a lot at first. I remember asking Stiles why he bothered to stay with you since you both seemed mad at each other all the time, and he smiled so goofily and said, 'It's just growing pains, Scotty, it's a lot to get used to. Me and Derek, we're hopeless but we're happy and we're getting there.' And you did get there, you're great together. Don't get me wrong, you still drive each other crazy, and you can make each other mad like no one else ever could, but you love each other more than you could ever love anyone else too, and I guess that makes it all worth it."

Neither Stiles nor Derek would ever admit it, but they couldn't help but think how awesome what Scott had described sounded. Who wouldn't want to be loved that much?

Scott watched on as his two pack mates tried to digest everything he had told them. He understood how difficult it must have been for them to hear all of that; after all, he remembered when his Stiles and Derek were still like the ones in front of him, when the idea of them even being friends was still ludicrous. But he had faith in the pair sitting in front of him; although they hadn't gone through everything that his Stiles and Derek had, they were still Stiles and Derek through and through. It was in their scents and their demeanours: they _were_ his Stiles and Derek, they were just a little behind, but Scott was sure that they would catch up soon enough, because he had come to believe that Stiles and Derek were meant for each other. Scott would bet money on the fact that they were meant to be together in any world.

"So," Scott said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "What do you want to know next?"

Scott filled them in on every aspect of their lives in their current world. He informed them that Derek had taken a job at the Sheriff's department and that he had settled in really well. Stiles and Derek listened to stories about how well Derek and Stiles' father got on and about how they loved to gang up on Stiles and annoy the living daylights out of him at family dinners.

Stiles was excited to hear that he had just finished his second year at UCLA, studying history. Scott told him about how he had been there when Stiles opened his acceptance letter, and how they'd jumped up and down like hyperactive kids and hugged each other. Scott's obvious pride in him made Stiles' heart ache in the best way.

"I decided not to go to college because Dr. Deaton decided to move out of state. He trained me up and now I run the clinic, which I love doing, plus, it means I'm pretty much always in Beacon Hills, so I can take care of my alpha duties."

"You run this place?" Stiles asked. "That's fucking awesome, Scott. You're like a real adult now!"

"That's really great, Scott," Derek agreed. "You've settled into your life as an alpha and as a man so well."

Scott smiled and ducked his head, his cheeks heating up at the praise.

"Thank you, guys. That means a lot. I wouldn't have handled everything nearly as well if it hadn't been for both of you and the rest of the pack though."

Scott went on to tell Derek and Stiles about how Jackson had come back to the US for college, explaining that learning to be a wolf in a foreign country had humbled and grounded him, and that he wasn't the same idiot he had been before he left.

"He's still an ass sometimes, don't get me wrong," Scott chuckled. "But he's definitely earned his place in the pack and Lydia's been so much happier since he came home."

They found out that Allison, Isaac and Cora had all started studying at Berkeley and were having the time of their lives.

"They've definitely taken well to the college party culture," Scott snorted. "Cora most of all, she's the life and soul of every party."

A small smile pulled at Derek's lips at the mention of his sister. "I can definitely believe that."

Scott informed him that Jackson, Lydia and Danny were studying at NYU and that Danny had been let into the loop and had helped the pack out more times than he could count and that he was now an important member of the pack.

"He was a part of the pack before, but when Jackson came home, that's when he really settled in. I think having someone who was his made him a lot more comfortable."

"Isn't it difficult being the only one left in Beacon Hills?" Derek asked Scott.

"I'm not the only one," Scott told him, looking at him as though he was an idiot. "You're here too, and we spend tons of time together, it's been really great getting to spend time just us. Also, every other weekend someone comes home to visit, and I go to the different colleges to see the pack. Obviously, I go to Berkeley most of all so I can see Allison, but I manage to see everyone else pretty regularly as well. And Derek goes to UCLA to see you a lot, because you're on your own up there and it's easy for him to get the time off, since his boss is pretty much his father-in-law."

Derek didn't need to be a werewolf to know that Scott meant it when he said he liked to spend time with him, his voice was laced with sincerity. He hoped that he and Scott would have that kind of relationship in his own world someday. Having a pack that he was close to was so important to Derek, and it was something that he'd missed more than anything since he had lost most of his family.

Scott's eyes widened suddenly and his arms began to flail, "Oh my God, Stiles, I can't believe I forgot to tell you that our parents got together!"

"You better not be shittin' me, Scott," Stiles warned, his eyes huge with excitement.

"I'm serious, man. We're one step closer to being real brothers!"

"HELL YES," Stiles exclaimed. "I _knew_ that they liked each other. YES!"

Derek snorted fondly at how excited Scott and Stiles had become. He was sure that no matter how old they got, they would still behave like a pair of ecstatic children whenever they got together. Sure, they got on his nerves sometimes with how ridiculous they could be, but deep down he was glad that they hadn't lost that innate joy after everything that they had been through.

Once their excitement had simmered down, Scott explained that everyone was home for summer vacation now, and that Stiles was pretty much living with Derek whenever he wasn't at college.

"Last summer, the pack spent a lot of time together to make the most of being all together for more than just a few weeks. It was a lot of fun, and we've been pretty much doing the exact same this year. I know it'll be difficult for both of you to keep the spell a secret from everyone, but I promise I'll help as much as I can."

"Thanks, Scotty boy," Stiles said, thankful that every version of Scott seemed to have his back.

After Scott had told them everything he thought might be important, he had to get back to work.

"Sorry, to kick you guys out, but I have a lot to do now that it's just me."

"We understand," Derek said. "We should probably go back to the house and try and settle in there, anyway."

As they walked away from the clinic, Stiles purposefully kept looking ahead while he said, "The witch was right; we do have kind of a nice life here."

"Yeah," Derek agreed quietly. "It's not so bad."

-/-/-/-

The Hale house was empty when Stiles and Derek made it back there. Cora had left a note on the kitchen worktop, letting them both know that she had gone shopping with Lydia to pick out something to wear for the barbecue.

Stiles hovered awkwardly in the living room for a while, not quite sure what to do with himself, before he finally blurted out what was bothering him.

"I don't really know what to do," he admitted. "I mean, I know being back in this house must be weird enough for you never mind being here with me, so do you want me to get out of your hair? I can go stay at my dad's if you want me to."

Derek shook his head no and sat down on the couch, motioning for Stiles do the same.

"Sit down, Stiles," he demanded. "Your fidgeting is making me uneasy.

"Right," Stiles said, flailing a little before flinging himself down on the other end of the couch. "Right, sorry. You don't want me to go?"

"No, it'll make everyone suspicious and have them asking questions that will be too much of a hassle to answer."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Stiles agreed, running a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in all of the wrong places. "Are you okay with me sharing a bed with you? Because Cora will wonder what's going on if we start heading to separate bedrooms at the end of the night."

Derek shrugged, "It's a big bed. If you're not comfortable with it, you could sneak into one of the other rooms once Cora falls asleep."

"I'm sure I'll survive. Just as long as you don't hog the covers," Stiles joked, flashing a grin in Derek's direction.

Stiles was sure that he seen Derek's lip tug upwards slightly as he nodded in reply.

-/-/-/-

They spent the evening preparing dinner for themselves and Cora, and were both surprised at how easy it was to get along with each other when they had to. They didn't talk much except for to ask quick questions about the meal they were cooking, but the silences between them were companionable rather than awkward, which was a relief to them both.

After dinner they declined Cora's offer to watch a movie with her; they were both exhausted from everything they had learned during the day.

"Having an early night, huh? Just keep it down up there, yeah?" Cora jibed good-naturedly, causing them both to flush hot with embarrassment as they made their way upstairs.

Once they were in the bedroom, Stiles caught the pajama top that Derek tossed him from the dresser he was rummaging through.

"There aren't any bottoms in here that smell much like you," Derek told him, twisting his body round to look at Stiles where he was standing by the door.

"Oh, I usually just wear boxers and a t-shirt," Stiles explained "But if you want me to I can get-"

"It's fine, Stiles," Derek interrupted.

"Right, okay," Stiles said, rocking back and forward on the balls of his feet slightly. "I'm just gonna go for a quick shower."

While Stiles was gone Derek stripped down into his boxers and pulled on a pair of soft, worn sleep pants before climbing into the bed that smelled strongly of him and Stiles. It wasn't their separate scents, it was both of them combined to make a new one, and it reminded Derek of his parents and the way their bedroom had always smelled when he was a child. It reminded him of family and security, and Derek couldn't resist burying his nose in the sheets and breathing in deeply.

Derek watched Stiles as he returned to the bedroom looking small and unsure in his thin sleep top and boxers. He noticed the way his eyes widened slightly and his throat bobbed as he took in Derek's bare shoulders that weren't covered by the sheets. Derek waited until Stiles was settled in the bed next to him before switching off the light on the bedside table.

"Night, Derek," Stiles said quietly.

"Goodnight, Stiles."

Derek lay staring at the ceiling in the dark room and waited until Stiles' breathing evened out and his stiff posture relaxed before allowing himself to drift off into a deep sleep.

And then the dreams came.

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><p><strong>An:** _I hope you all enjoyed that! If any of you have tumblr my url is warriorhale!_


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